"I would suggest a whole different model, and that whole different model would be something that is here (in Albany) less, and they'd get paid about half as much," McMahon said.

Assemblyman Michael Kearns, D-142nd District, is one of the newer members of the legislature. He agreed that the legislature is overpaid.

"I think it's a part-time job," Kearns said. "Even though I work full time, I think that if we were in session for the whole year, it would be a full-time job."

Many of our local lawmakers work well over 40 hours a week. But groups like the Empire Center say they're doing unnecessary work to fill the time, and if they focused on their core responsibility of passing laws, they could be part-time and save the state a lot of money.

A spokesperson for the Senate leadership said, "Just because legislators aren't in Albany in session doesn't mean they aren't working." He added that lawmakers again hope to pass an early budget and correctly pointed out that much of the dysfunction that has plagued the state capitol has been replaced by a working relationship between both parties and the governor.